The 1921 crop for the most part was of excellent grade. The size of Florida melons was reduced by drought, but conditions improved as the growing season moved northward.
The 1921 season opened with prices as high as in any preceding season. First sales in May exceeded $1,000 per car for medium sizes in New York, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. Similar prices were reported at the opening of the 1920 season and there were a few opening sales of medium size melons around $1,000 in 1919. In 1918 ranges in the early part of the season were only about one-half those of 1919 and were still lower in 1917 and 1916.
Prices in 1921 were not so well sustained as in 1920. During July heavy shipments from Georgia depressed the markets rapidly. July opened with carlot sales at $250 to $650 in city markets, but the range soon declined, reaching $200 to $250. The first week of August prices reached the low point of the season at $150 to $250 per car but recovered about $25 toward the end of the season of heavy shipments.
DECLINE RAPID.
Prices opened at $300 to $515 f. o. b. Florida shipping points with top of $625, but declined rapidly with the beginning of the Georgia shipping season. Florida and Georgia Tom Watsons ranged $200 to $650 in July. Carolina melons at times ranged slightly lower than Georgia stock.
Prices of Missouri watermelons ranged $100 to $200 per car the first week of August, $125 to $250 the second week, and $120 to $200 the third week. Texas melons sold early in July at $2.50 to $3 per 100 lbs. but ranged mostly $1.25 to $1.75 in August. Further details of the price ranges of the principal lines of watermelons are given in the accompanying tables.
Carlot Shipments of Watermelons.
| To Sept. 24. | Total season. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 1920 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | |
| Alabama | 1,398 | 1,160 | 1,634 | 806 | 708 | 1,160 |
| Arkansas | 520 | 314 | 449 | 93 | 268 | 314 |
| California | 3,455 | 3,106 | 1,137 | 1,689 | 3,300 | 3,272 |
| Delaware | 496 | 177 | 511 | 303 | 327 | 177 |
| Florida | 5,457 | 6,807 | 3,622 | 2,179 | 3,878 | 6,807 |
| Georgia | 15,791 | 11,103 | 9,530 | 6,782 | 8,984 | 11,103 |
| Illinois | 309 | 247 | 386 | 68 | 190 | 251 |
| Indiana | 706 | 647 | 630 | 191 | 581 | 661 |
| Iowa | 681 | 330 | 238 | 132 | 321 | 348 |
| Maryland | 759 | 458 | 1,019 | 388 | 515 | 458 |
| Missouri | 3,089 | 3,008 | 2,533 | 1,196 | 3,516 | 3,012 |
| North Carolina | 1,219 | 799 | 1,201 | 727 | 891 | 799 |
| Oklahoma | 549 | 464 | 505 | 189 | 870 | 465 |
| South Carolina | 4,407 | 4,735 | 4,107 | 2,787 | 2,673 | 4,735 |
| Texas | 4,056 | 4,839 | 2,871 | 2,290 | 3,007 | 4,845 |
| Virginia | 338 | 312 | 728 | 244 | 263 | 312 |
| Other States | 851 | 506 | 402 | 328 | 568 | 530 |
| Total | 44,081 | 39,012 | 31,503 | 20,392 | 30,860 | 39,249 |
RANGES OF WATERMELON PRICES
F. O. B. Shipping Points.
[Bulk per car.]
| State and year. | Weights quoted. | Opening. | High. | Low. | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week ending— | Price. | Week ending— | Price. | Week ending— | Price. | |||||||||||||
| Florida: | Pounds. | |||||||||||||||||
| 1921 | 22 | - | 28 | May | 23 | $350 | - | $600 | May | 23 | $350 | - | $600 | July | 11 | $200 | - | $250 |
| 1920 | 22 | - | 28 | June | 14 | 250 | - | 500 | June | 14 | 250 | - | 500 | June | 28 | 175 | - | 500 |
| 1919 | 22 | - | 28 | June | 9 | 400 | - | 550 | June | 9 | 400 | - | 550 | June | 23 | 300 | - | 475 |
| 1918 | 20 | - | 25 | June | 3 | 300 | - | 400 | June | 24 | 350 | - | 450 | June | 10 | 275 | - | 400 |
| 1917 | 20 | - | 25 | June | 11 | 140 | - | 200 | June | 18 | 165 | - | 225 | June | 11 | 140 | - | 200 |
| Georgia: | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1921 | 22 | - | 28 | June | 27 | 200 | - | 525 | June | 27 | 200 | - | 525 | Aug. | 8 | 40 | - | 125 |
| 1920 | 22 | - | 28 | July | 5 | 200 | - | 450 | July | 5 | 200 | - | 450 | July | 19 | 75 | - | 200 |
| 1919 | 22 | - | 27 | June | 30 | 250 | - | 450 | June | 30 | 250 | - | 450 | July | 28 | 125 | - | 250 |
| 1918 | 28 | - | 30 | July | 1 | 135 | - | 175 | July | 8 | 200 | - | 220 | July | 15 | 75 | - | 150 |
| 1917 | 20 | - | 25 | June | 25 | 175 | - | 265 | July | 2 | 175 | - | 275 | Aug. | 20 | 70 | - | 75 |
| Texas: | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1921 | 22 | - | 28 | July | 18 | 80 | - | 250 | July | 18 | 80 | - | 250 | Aug. | 1 | [1]25 | - | 50¢ |
| 1920 | 22 | - | 28 | July | 5 | 250 | - | 375 | July | 12 | 150 | - | 375 | July | 19 | 65 | - | 250 |
| 1919 | 22 | - | 28 | July | 21 | 250 | - | 400 | July | 21 | 250 | - | 400 | July | 28 | 150 | - | 300 |
| 1918 | 20 | - | 27 | June | 24 | 335 | - | 400 | June | 24 | 335 | - | 400 | July | 22 | 100 | - | 200 |
| 1917 | 20 | - | 25 | July | 2 | 200 | - | 290 | July | 2 | 200 | - | 290 | July | 16 | 100 | - | 200 |
| Missouri: | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1921 | 22 | - | 28 | Aug. | 1 | 165 | - | 340 | Aug. | 1 | 165 | - | 340 | Aug. | 22 | 65 | - | 150 |
| 1920 | 22 | - | 28 | Aug. | 2 | 200 | - | 325 | Aug. | 9 | 300 | - | 425 | Aug. | 16 | 200 | - | 350 |
| 1919 | 22 | - | 28 | Aug. | 4 | 250 | - | 450 | Aug. | 4 | 250 | - | 450 | Aug. | 11 | 125 | - | 300 |
| 1918 | 20 | - | 25 | Aug. | 5 | 230 | - | 300 | Aug. | 12 | 300 | - | 400 | Aug. | 5 | 230 | - | 300 |
| 1916 | 22 | - | 27 | Aug. | 7 | 135 | - | 200 | Aug. | 14 | 110 | - | 175 | Aug. | 21 | 65 | - | 165 |